‘This Is Us’ Flashed Forward To Baby Jack’s Teenage Years & Yep, I’m Crying

Season 4 of This Is Us has not been an easy one for Kate. After working hard to conceive and carry a baby to term, her son was born prematurely. Baby Jack was born blind as a result. Having a child with special needs has been a massive strain on Kate and Toby’s marriage. But as This Is Us flashed forward to Baby Jack’s teenage years at the end of Episode 15, "Clouds," viewers got a glimpse of how his parent’s choices help him become the worldwide superstar views saw in the Season 4 premiere. Warning: Spoilers for This Is Us Season 4 follow.

Toby has been a polarizing character in the This Is Us fandom since his introduction in Season 1. While some fans love the man Kate eventually married, many argue Toby is manipulative and self-centered. These red flags mounted when Teenage Kate’s first boyfriend, Marc, was introduced to the narrative; he was not just manipulative and self-centered, but emotionally and mentally abusive. Could the haters be right? Was Kate repeating a lesser version of history?

Toby gave them enough ammunition. From the near-emotional affair with Lady Kryptonite to the admission he couldn’t connect with his son because of his ableist biases, Toby wasn’t covering himself in glory. So when the episode opened with Toby up to his old "grand gestures as emotional spackle" trick to save their marriage with the idea of making over the garage as a music studio, viewers were super skeptical. Kate is already carrying 90% of caring for Baby Jack. When does she have time for music?

But Kate decided to give Toby another chance. She let herself be open to Toby’s grand gesture one more time. And that’s when Toby revealed it wasn’t just a music studio for her. It was also a place for Jack to experiment with music. He’d made up a play area adorned with a rock & roll band name: "Jumping Jack Damon & The Bugs." Embracing Jack’s disability, he declared that "if any kid deserved a playroom with every sound known to man," it was their son.

As viewers know, Jack Damon goes on to become a superstar, performing in arenas in front of sold-out crowds. And it all starts right here, in this garage, because of Toby.

The show began to flash forward as Baby Jack sits on Kate’s lap, banging on a keyboard. Toby’s idea pays dividends, first with Toddler Jack, standing at his toy keyboard while his mother writes music in her studio. Jump to the elementary school years, and there’s pre-teen Jack, in the garage with his friends, practicing in his first band. And then high school-aged Jack, the garage now a full-on studio, recording solo demos. And all because Toby figured out how to connect with his son.

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